Marché Provençal

The Marché Provençal in Antibes fills the Cours Masséna, a broad, shaded street at the foot of the old town ramparts, and it is the kind of market where a first-time visitor learns how food is bought in Provence. The covered hall at its centre dates from the early twentieth century, with an iron frame and a glass roof, and the stalls spread out from it under awnings along the street. In the morning the neighbouring lanes are closed to traffic, so you can walk freely between the stalls. Market days run from Tuesday to Sunday in the main part of the year and every day in high summer, with the stalls generally closing around one o'clock.

What gives the market its character is the way producers sell directly. Many of the vegetable and fruit sellers are growers from the hills behind the coast, and they arrange their produce by season, with the first strawberries and asparagus in spring, tomatoes, peaches and melons in summer, figs and grapes in autumn and citrus fruit in winter. Local olive oil, olives marinated in herbs, tapenade and anchovy paste are sold at the olive stalls, and there are stands with dried herbs, lavender, honey and the sweet preserves the region is known for. Cheese sellers offer goat's cheeses wrapped in chestnut leaves and sheep's cheeses from the mountains, and charcuterie stalls sell sausages and hams. You will see fresh pasta, breads, pastries and the savoury specialities of the Riviera, such as pissaladière, the onion and anchovy tart, and socca, the chickpea pancake that is more strongly linked to nearby Nice.

There is some etiquette to follow. It is normal to greet the stallholder with a Bonjour when you arrive and a Merci, au revoir when you leave, and to let the seller choose and weigh the fruit instead of picking it yourself, unless you are invited to. Bring a shopping bag, as plastic bags are rarely given, and carry some coins for small purchases. Prices are marked, and haggling is not expected. Arriving by nine o'clock gives the best choice, and the market is at its liveliest in the late morning.

On certain days of the week an antiques and crafts market also takes place nearby, and the stalls of local makers fill the lanes in summer evenings, so ask at the tourist office for current days.

The market sits within walking distance of the Musée Picasso, which occupies the Château Grimaldi on the seafront, and of the Port Vauban and the old town lanes, which are good for lunch after shopping. The Musée d'Archéologie and the Fort Carré are not far, and beyond the old town the Cap d'Antibes offers coastal walks and the Plage de la Garoupe. A morning at the market suits food lovers, early risers and families who want to see the region's daily life.